He’s Newcastle’s Surprise Player Of Pre-Season

Written by Dr. Ed Harrison

9:41pm Friday, August 14th, 2015

Commented 72 times

Gabby Obertan signed for us four years ago from Manchester United and last summer it looked like he would leave the club – but he didn’t because he was one of the stars in pre-season and he had good season up to when he was injured against Liverpool on November 1st, and was out for some months.

And the same is happening this season, and Gabby has been on form and let’s face it – he brilliantly set up Newcastle’s second goal – when he hit a perfect right wing cross on the run and Gini Wijnaldum headed home in magnificent style for his first ever goal for Newcastle.

Gabby Obertan in action on Sunday This was taken just before he crossed for Wijnaldum to head home In Steve McClaren’s press conference, the Newcastle head coach was very matter of fact but positive too, and he was asked about Gabby – and was told he has had an up and down relationship with Newcastle fans over the last four years.

Here’s how Steve answered that question:

“I don’t think it was a big call. “He had done well in pre-season and it was more tactical. We played Gabby in a wide position and he was effective there.”

“He nullified the Southampton right-back Soares, getting forward, so he did a job last week, not just defensively but in attacking, too. He created the second goal and that’s what he is capable of.”

“When I see him in training and the games in pre-season at times, he is a terrific talent – so quick and so strong, and a Premier League player.”

“So it wasn’t a big call, it was something we had to do.”

There’s nothing we would like better than if Gabriel Obertan keeps fit and keeps his place in the Newcastle side, because if that happens he will have earned it.

There’s no doubt the 26 year-old has talent and that’s why Sir Alex Ferguson signed him for the Red Devils in 2009 from Bordeaux.

The challenge for Gabby and for Steve McClaren as his coach is for Obertan to become more consistent – and certainly it’s like a year ago all over again, with Gabby being Newcastle’s surprise player.

As we’ve said before, we’d love the Frenchman to have a great season – we are not invested in any Newcastle player not doing well.

And the crowd were very good to Obertan on Sunday, and gave him applause when he made some good plays – they are always very fair the Geordie fans.

We want Newcastle to be successful, and we hope all our players do well this season – and then the team will do well.

That’s true for Gabriel Obertan, who’s currently a Newcastle starter – on merit.

JB- Exactly. He’s got the pace and strength to be exactly what we need on the right, just needs to finally bring some consistency to his game. That RW spot is his for the taking if he can string a couple good games together.

I no fan of Jose mate, he’s the media’s sweetheart and gets away with murder with some of his outlandish comments, comments that any other manager would be slaughtered for, plus the way his players conduct themselves on the pitch is simply wrong.

I hope Wenger wins the league, always loved how his sides play the game and the way he’s determind to use the youth set up before transfer market is very, very rare these days

Dok The voodoo will hopefully stop at 5 with us beating them in October then again in March,, what a game,, you will be blown away,, I’ve only ever been to 2 derby’s,, the 3-2 at home with emres free kick and th unbelievable 5-1 on Halloween on a Sunday,, best games I’ve ever been,, th 5-1 though something else,, work was a killer on th Monday,, West Ham away Xmas 2005 owens hattrick probably my third..

Obertan is pretty quick he’s not what you would call rapid though. The RB that Saints brought on last week caught him up enough times. Aarons is the better option same speed (maybe quicker) but has a much better delivery and scores more he can do the same job better???

cracking headline “NEWCASTLES PLAYER OF THE SEASON” i must have watched a different game on sunday .. the only thing he done was cross the ball for the goal.. the rest of the game he was his usual self…

wdft I will say it again without caring who I upset, what level of stupidity do you possess to think that it was Alan Pardew and his assistant that were responsible for the mess our club has been in for the last eight years !

JB Oh no I adore Jose, best manager in the world for me. Not sure what u mean by how his lads conduct themselves on the pitch though? As for the media though I think he has them wrapped around his little finger and he knows exactly how everything will play out with them

In a fair world Wenger would win the league but its not a fair world and I dont think Arsenal will win the league under Wenger again…I think he holds the club back because of how much power he has there and he doesnt want to evolve with football. Fantastic manager no doubt but football is moving on and he isnt

When he tries to think about things, he loses the ball or leaves it behind and inevitably ends up lunging in to get it back. He has extremely good pace, in an ideal world he’ll work on nothing but running with the ball at top speed and crossing, in training.

With Gini and Mitro footage showing them eating up crosses all day long, getting Squidward to bang in crosses a dozen times per game is just the ticket.

Was at game last week and Obertan did canny, worked hard and once tiote sissoko and de Jong decided running was beyond them in the last twenty minutes he was our only hope with Haidara of getting the ball up the pitch. Some proper divs who hate players who give a lot on here.

Tiote and McLaren for putting him on the pitch are to blame for us folding last week.

McLaren talks nearly as much guff as Pardew. In what way did he nullify their right back? Apart from the cross he was woeful both going forward and defending. Aarons would have torn up that left hand side. How he can prefer obertans experience over Aarons undeniable quality is a mystery. He’ll do the same to Aarons as he did to Will Hughes, turned him from a £10m player into a championship chugger

After Wallys words of praise there seems to be quite a few jumping on the “Obertans a good player bandwagon”. Don’t see it myself – does Wally really mean it? Stil vivid in my mind was when there was that carry on about Sterling moving from Liverpool. The news channels used a clip of him scoring against us to illustrate their stories. Included was Obertron jogging back and half heartedly poking a foot in – quiet embarassing really – and then Sterling scored immediately afterwards. I doubt he does anything like the defensive job that is suggested. Poor poor player whose days must be numbered.

League Placement

health update

I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in February 2017 and completed four months of chemotherapy in late July and will continue to have hormone treatment.

The cancer spread in the bones but it has been stabilized and has not spread further.

I am still recovering from some of the side effects of the chemo treatment - it's mainly severe fatigue and exhaustion.

Stage 4 cancer is not curable so I will continue to have cat scans and bone scans every four months to ensure the cancer is not spreading.

It is as it is - these things happen - and I will do my very best under the circumstances.

Ed Harrison

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